Shloka 4

Devanagari script

भक्षितः स इति श्रुत्वा वसिष्ठस्तेन रक्षसा शक्तिः शक्तिमतां श्रेष्ठो भ्रातृभिः सह धर्मवित्

Transliteration

bhakṣitaḥ sa iti śrutvā vasiṣṭhastena rakṣasā śaktiḥ śaktimatāṃ śreṣṭho bhrātṛbhiḥ saha dharmavit

Translation

Mendengar khabar, “Dia telah dimakan,” Vasiṣṭha—bersama saudara-saudaranya—mengetahui bahawa Śakti, yang terunggul antara yang perkasa dan yang memahami dharma, telah dimakan oleh rākṣasa itu.

Word by Word

• भक्षितः: devoured/eaten

• सः: he (Śakti)

• इति: thus

• श्रुत्वा: having heard

• वसिष्ठः: Vasiṣṭha (the sage)

• तेन: by that

• रक्षसा: rākṣasa/demon

• शक्तिः: Śakti (the sage, son/descendant in Vasiṣṭha’s line)

• शक्तिमताम्: of the powerful

• श्रेष्ठः: the best/foremost

• भ्रातृभिः: with (his) brothers

• सह: together with

• धर्मवित्: knower of dharma/righteous order

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha
• Śakti
• Rākṣasa

FAQs

What is the importance of this verse in the context of Linga worship?

It frames a dharmic crisis in a rishi lineage—such shocks in Purana narrative often turn the mind from worldly security (pāśa) toward refuge in Pati, Shiva, whose Linga becomes the stable support for remembrance, worship, and restoration of order.

How does this verse describe the nature of Shiva (Shiva-tattva)?

Shiva-tattva is implied as the transcendent ground beyond calamity: even when the pashu (individual soul) is struck by violent change, Pati remains the unwavering protector and final recourse, with dharma as the guiding principle back toward Him.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

No specific puja-vidhi is stated directly; the takeaway is dharma-niṣṭhā (steadfastness in righteousness) amid suffering—an inner discipline aligned with Pāśupata orientation: turning grief into devotion and detachment that prepares one for Shiva-upāsanā.